The present invention resides in a catalyst characterized by a surface composition of sulphide, oxides and/or hydroxides of aluminum, iron, silicon, magnesium, titanium and nickel for use in the conversion of heavy hydrocarbons to light ones and, more particularly, a method for the preparation of the catalyst from naturally occurring materials by thermal and chemical reaction of same and a process for the treatment of heavy hydrocarbons with the catalyst so produced.
Until now, catalysts of the type set forth above have never been used for converting heavy hydrocarbons containing a high level of metals and asphaltenes into light ones in the presence of hydrogen. The catalyst of the present invention provides a great advantage with respect to conventional ones due to its low cost, its high sensitivity for vanadium removal, and its high stability.